The European version of the 12 Days of Christmas contains unfamiliar cultural
elements, so this song was re-written to reflect Tlingit values and incorporate
familiar sights and sounds of our villages.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

Drummers Drumming

Salmon Swimming

Hunters Hunting

The hand drum we use ranges from 10 to
24 inches in diameter. We also use the box drum, which somewhat
resembles a wooden footlocker with the lid taken off, and then it is
tilted on edge and hit on the side. We love our drums.

People in Hoonah consider themselves
poor if all they have to eat are salmon, because salmon are
everywhere. It is our major food, and there is no finer sight and
smell than a smokehouse full of salmon!

Ten more hunters, please. We used to
hunt a lot more. Most of our privileges and traditions have been
taken away. So getting "ten hunters hunting" is a dream and wish and
hope we hold up highly.

Tlingit Dancers

Warriors Paddling

Cedar Baskets

Tlingit dancers come out for
potlatches (parties, giveaways), funerals, weddings, clan
gatherings, and almost any excuse to dance we can find. We are
different from the powwow dancers because we only know how to dance
as a group. We don't have individual dances or competition.

Our war canoe holds 12 to 16
people. When most of your food comes from the ocean, a big canoe
full of warriors, hunting gear and space for the catch, is a very
thoughtful Christmas gift. (

Cedar baskets are what we used
before tupperware. If you really want to
give your true love a gift, the cedar basket will long outlive any amount of
Tupperware you could give. If you live in the Northwest, you could even join a
basketweaving society and make them by hand!

Eagles Soaring

Totem
Poles

Ravens calling

Eagles may be the most common bird in
Hoonah, mostly bald eagles. And of course they are the opposite clan
to the Ravens.

Totem poles tell our stories, or
particular events, or honor a person or family. We don't worship
them. If you think that getting "5 golden rings" is valuable, imagine 5 totem
poles! That would be worth so much more to us, especially since you can pay
$1000 to $1500 per foot for a new totem pole today.

The Raven is a common sight in
our village, Hoonah. If you haven't seen one, they look like a crow
on steroids. All Tlingits belong to either the Raven
Clan or Eagle Clan. So of course we must include Ravens in this song.

Button robes

Killer Whales

And a Keidlidee in a pear tree.

The
button robe (commonly called the "button blanket") is worn by all
Tlingit dancers, and is common throughout many coastal tribes in the
Pacific Northwest, Western Canada and Alaska. It is usually black
and red, and yes, has many buttons for the border and sometimes for
the crest.

The
killer whale represents one of our two primary clans. In the past,
we actually had a Killer Whale Longhouse that housed many families.
(It might be similar to an apartment building today, as opposed to
individual family dwellings). Our crests and clan names describe
where we came from (genealogy), and are never worshipped.

The Keidlidee is a bird that resembles a small seagull.

With all these explanations, you can now comfortably learn and sing the
Tlingit version wherever you live -- be our guest.
Photo credits